Carson area officials look to update flood documents

Stakeholders in the Carson River watershed gathered Tuesday to work on updating two key flood documents.

The Discovery Plan is a report required by the Federal Emergency Management Agency in order to seek federal money for local flood projects.

“The update ensures we have funding opportunities in the future,” said Ed James, general manager, Carson Water Subconservancy District.

The update, due in November, outlines flood risks throughout the watershed and mitigation strategies.

“Data collection. That’s the primary reason we’re here today,” Karin Peternal, hydrologist, Michael Baker International, the consultant working on the regional plan, told the members of the Carson River Coalition at its meeting in the Nevada Room of the Governor’s Mansion.

The data requested at the meeting included flood risk projects and mitigation capabilities, and photos, high water marks, demographics and LiDAR, or light detection and ranging, and aerial topography for a second meeting planned in October.

The second document is the Carson River Regional Floodplain Management Plan, developed and adopted in 2008 by CWSD and the counties in the watershed, including Carson City.

The plan was updated in 2013 and a draft update is due in a year.

The document outlines 38 suggested actions or projects and programs to address flooding.

The plan isn’t required by FEMA, but it’s one step that can be taken to earn points in FEMA’s community rating system, which helps lower the cost of flood insurance for property owners in the region, said Brenda Hunt, program manager, CWSD.

The update will add more on alluvial plains, the large, flat areas created by sediment deposits that contain floodplains.

“This will start looking at that, at what’s missing, what needs to be done,” said James.

The coalition will meet again in December or January to start working on the plan, which is eventually accepted by local governing bodies, including the Carson City Board of Supervisors.

The coalition is also working on events for the upcoming flood awareness week Nov. 11-17 and a tour of flood damage sites that may include Buzzy’s Ranch in Carson City and restoration projects in Alpine County.